And Then You Came
by Mitsuki Horenake
Summary: Haku was having a downer in her life, until he came along. Watch as her life changes forever, but will it last as beautifully as she wants it to? Based of the Akaito and Haku version of "Last Night, Good Night".
1. Just An Ordinary Day

**Just another pairing Vocaloid story that I wanted to type up. By the way, Kinsora and the other masters have no connection to this whatsoever. Therefore, you won't be seeing them in those big roles here. Hope you still like it!**

**I DO NOT OWN VOCALOID.**

**------**

Her name was Haku Yowane, a singer. Well…not quite a singer. Not too many people want to hire her these days, not when the ones with big talents like Miku Hatsune and Kaito Shion were still running around. She's just trapped being background singing. And when no one even wants her for that, she's doing the job as a waitress at the small restaurant near her home. She lives a pretty miserable life, but the money that she gets from the "singing" career has allowed her to keep the home. Plus, since she has those connections, she could go to their concerts whenever she wanted, and she's good friends with them.

However, part of her just wanted to have her own career going. She wanted to be a star as well. But no one wanted her. They considered her a failure, nothing more than a copycat of the ever-so-popular Miku. After a while, she realized the connection as well, and accepted it as her very own. Now a days, she drinks at the bar every once in a while to get her sorrows down.

But the truth is, her life is about to change forever.

**------**

"Ah." The bartender looked up. "Welcome back, Haku! The usual?"

"The usual." She answered.

He headed to the back as she sulked at her usual place at the bar. After a few seconds of silence, she heard the chairs next to her move, and she looked up to see Meiko and Neru sliding up next to her. The bartender came back and placed the glass bottle in front of her.

"Back here, huh?" Meiko sighed, grabbing a nearby sake bottle.

"Yep." Haku complained. "The guys back at the audition didn't want me."

"**WHAT?!** Are you serious?!" Neru jumped. "But I saw the competition! You were a perfect choice!"

"I know. That's what I thought." She sighed. "But then Miku auditioned. I was booted out before I knew it."

"Wow…Miku sure knows what you're thinking." Meiko downed the bottle.

"So you didn't get the movie role, huh." Neru sighed.

"They didn't even offer me a part as an extra." Haku grabbed another one. "They offered it to the others, though."

"All of them?!" Meiko jumped. "But the majority of them suck!"

"Not really…" Haku sighed. "Most of them have acting experience."

"On low-budget movies." Neru corrected. "Just forget that. They're all morons, anyway."

"Thanks you guys…" Haku grumbled. "But I might as well give up the star career…"

"**NUH UH!** Not happening!" Meiko slammed her hands on the table. "Look, you have more musical talent than me and her combined! You just have to find out the part of you that isn't a part of Miku, that's all!"

"I've tried that." Haku sighed. "We even have the same taste in men. The only thing that I don't have is the fetish for leeks."

"_Lucky…"_ Neru grumbled.

"Well, find something!" Meiko grinned. "There has to be something!"

"I hope you're right…"

Haku downed another bottle before turning her head towards the window, watching the small groups of people walk by, either hand in hand or as overjoyed as ever. One was even swinging his paycheck around and screamed how he obtained a raise. He looked like a neighbor of hers.

That's when she saw him.

At first, she thought she saw Kaito walking by. They looked so similar. But at another glance _(as quick as that was)_, she saw that it was a totally different person. He had red hair, which was a bit spikier than Kaito's. His jacket was black, and whatever was supposed to be originally blue was now a bright red. But there was something weird there. She couldn't care less on Kaito's looks. He wasn't cute. But this guy…whoever he was, it just captivated her. Her heart skipped a beat as the air around her slowed down. Before she knew it, he turned toward her, and they locked eye contact. It was then that she felt herself burning in his crimson red eyes.

"What are you looking at?"

Haku blinked, and saw that the figure had vanished into thin air. Panicking, she found herself scrambling out of the bar and darted out the door, much to their shock. She ran down the sidewalk and looked everywhere for the stranger, but only found surprised crowds of people and total darkness. She took some deep breaths and stood up.

_Who was that guy?_ She thought.

"Haku!"

She turned around and saw Meiko and Neru running to catch up with her. It was only then that she saw how far she ran. It was a pretty long distance _(almost two blocks!)_, and yet she didn't feel like she ran a mile, which was the normal reaction that she felt when she ran a similar distance. They stopped in front of her.

"How drunk **ARE** you?!" Neru asked, heaving in gulps of air.

"I'm not drunk. I'm…buzzed." Haku looked around. "And I thought I saw someone out here."

"Someone?" Meiko looked around. "Take your pick."

"No! I mean…" She looked around. "I thought I saw Kaito."

"You were chasing Kaito?" Neru asked.

"No. Someone that looked like him." She answered. "Oddly similar, and yet…not."

"Yep, you're drunk." Meiko laughed. "C'mon. We better head back to the bar. Bartender's probably pissed that you didn't pay your tab."

Haku looked around for a few more seconds before slowly nodding and following her buzzed friends back to the bar. Unbeknownst to her, a figure was watching her from behind an alleyway, smiling at how confused she was. He turned to follow her, but when Haku turned around, he was gone again.

**------**

Neru had to drive her home. She wasn't that drunk, but Meiko couldn't walk out properly.

Haku stumbled into her home, turning on the lights to her small tatami house as she said her goodbyes and sat peacefully in her living room. She turned to the door and opened it, staggering into the garden and sitting at the side. She stared up into the sky and smiled at all the countless stars that were sparkling over her head. She laughed.

"Heh. Geez, the stars remind me of celebrities for some odd reason."

"_**The first one you see is always the one that everyone sees. Only to the avid watchers can everyone in the sky be truly appreciated…"**_

"Yeah, similar to that. Hey, how'd you-"

She turned her head to the source of the voice, only to see that no one was there, save for a few flowers and what seems to be a firefly. It was then that she realized that she was in a sealed part of the garden, an area that no stranger can enter without going past her first.

"…Know?"

She concluded that she was definitely drunk, and then headed back into the house to turn in for the night. But unbeknownst to her, the figure was still there, watching her from behind a tree, smiling as the door slammed behind the gray beauty.

**------**

**End of the first chapter. You probably know who the stalker is, but for those of you who don't know…well, expect a fast update.**


	2. When We Talk

**Last night, Haku had suddenly been stalked by a strange being. Who was the being that followed her? What do they want? Well…you probably know who the guy is, but let's keeping going, just for the heck of it.**

**------**

_Man…hangovers suck._

Such were the thoughts of Haku Yowane as she woke up tucked safely in her futon that morning. Sitting up, she saw with a smile as the sky was raining down its brilliant light down on her room. The clock ticked as it reached seven thirty, and she sighed with relief: she still has time to get into her uniform and get to her job without her boss blowing up on her.

_OK, OK…all I need to remember is NOT to think…_

Unfortunately, the door rang out when Haku opened her door, thus making her stall for a few seconds to shake it off. She stumbled off to her closet and drew it back, staring face-to-face at the evil looking outfit that stared back at her. It was so frilly and pink and frilly and…short. Why in the world would she agree to wear such a thing?!

Oh, right. It's because she didn't have another awesome high paying job waiting in the side just for her to come along and pay her rent.

She slowly cursed out her luck as she forced herself to slide on the outfit. It was so _**TIGHT**_ and ugly on her. And what's worse is that it was so **PINK**. **PINK!!** Why pink?! Why couldn't the theme be purple or blue or even white? She liked white. A hell lot more than she liked pink. She stared at herself in the mirror for a few minutes before slowly complaining and heading out the door.

"_**Oh, come on, Haku. It doesn't look that bad."**_

**------**

"You're late, Haku!"

"Late? What the heck are you talking about?" Haku gawked. "I'm on time!"

"Ignorance is unfitting, Haku. It's either early or late!" Her boss growled. "Now get to work!"

She grumbled as she went on to do her job. Unlike her boss, the people that she was serving were actually nice and generous, and offer better tips than her own paycheck. But it's not like she was counting. It was after she finished six tables at the same time that she saw Gumi walk toward her with a smile on her face. Unlike Haku, she actually looked nice in pink.

"It's your lunch break, Haku." She informed. "You didn't know that?"

"No…" Haku looked confused. "Is it noon already? Wow, I didn't know that!"

"You've just been working too hard, that's all." She answered. "You really need a break."

"I just need a break_**through**_." She replied.

She walked outside of the small restaurant and sank into one of the outside chairs, not bothering to think about when this would end and she would have to go back onto her shift. People were still coming in and out, but they were everyone else's business now. It's time for her to relax.

"_**Hey. Is this seat taken?"**_

She looked up and almost hiccupped the spit in her mouth. Standing right over her being, in front of her very eyes, was the boy that she saw earlier. The Kaito lookalike. He looked a little tired, like he's been walking around the city for the entire night, and yet he seemed happy and full of energy. Or maybe it was the hangover talking. But was she still having one?

"No. It's free. I'm…just on a break." She answered.

"_**Well, that's good. The place seems a little too crowded for my tastes."**_ He sat down. _**"By the way, what's your name? I feel like I've met you before."**_

"I'm pretty sure I haven't met you before. And if you're curious, my name is Haku Yowane. May I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"

"_**I'll…think about it."**_ He answered.

"So…what? I'm referring to you as 'he', now?"

"_**Sure."**_

"OK…" Haku stared at the man in front of her. "You do look like someone that I know, though."

"_**Really? Who?"**_

"A singer. Does the name Kaito ring any bells?"

"_**Kaito? Um…a few, actually."**_

"So, can I call you that?"

"_**I don't think it's fair for you to refer to me as a celebrity, huh?"**_ He smiled.

"So, what? You don't have a name?"

"_**The situation is…a little complicated. You probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you straight out."**_

"Uh…is it family problems?"

"_**I wish."**_

"So it's relationship problems?"

"_**I wish it could be that too, but mostly on the family problems."**_

"Now you're confusing me."

"_**You're confused? You should be looking at me."**_ He turned to her with a smile on his face. _**"By the way, isn't your shift over? Shouldn't you be serving me something?"**_

"No. I'm pretty sure that my shift isn't over." Haku blinked. "Besides, you didn't even order anything."

"_**Nah, I'm not that hungry."**_

"Why would you not be hungry and still come to a restaurant?"

"_**It's not that I'm not hungry."**_ He looked down. _**"It's that I can't."**_

"You…**can't**…get hungry." She concluded.

"Hey, Haku!" Her boss called to her. "Get over here! Your shift just ended and we need you up on your feet _**stat!"**_

Haku blinked as she turned to her watch, shocked that her lunch break had indeed ended. She turned to the young man to say her goodbyes, only to see that he had mysteriously vanished, just like before. Confused, she shook her head and walked back to her job.

**------**

**Yeah, this is the second chapter. For this story, I decided to go segment by segment instead of episode by episode. Don't worry, I'll get the other stories of mine done before you know it! I sure hope you know who the guy is, though.**


	3. Might Be A Stalker, You Know

**The boy and Haku were able to have a nice chat with each other before the end of her shift, but who was he? Why wouldn't he tell her his name? And where could he possibly be going whenever she turns her head? Find out!**

**------**

_I'm going crazy. That's it. I'm going crazy._

She found herself walking in the park _(in her uniform, no doubt)_ in the middle of the night. Her shift was oddly long _(maybe because she was "late")_ and she was near tired. Sighing, she continued on her trek home, only to notice her two best friends walking ahead of her. She waved her hands to catch their attention, and fortunately, they did. She headed over to them, only to notice her third best friend with them.

"Hey, Kinsora!" She called.

"Hey there." Kinsora blinked. "Hey, why're you still in that outfit? Don't you hate it?"

"I'm going home right now." Haku answered. "Although…guys? I think I might be going crazy."

"Crazy?" Neru blinked. "Aren't you already?"

"**NO, NOT LIKE ****THAT!****"** Haku screamed. "I mean…I'm seeing a Kaito lookalike _everywhere_ I go."

"You sure it's not just Kaito in disguise?" Meiko asked. "I mean, he and his friends are throwing that big concert of theirs, right?"

"He sorta talked like him…" Haku sighed. "But no way. He would've ordered an ice cream cone or something. He said that he wasn't hungry."

"Wait, he came in your store?" Kinsora asked.

"Yeah…but he didn't order anything." Haku answered.

"That is odd…" Neru blinked. "You sure he didn't just run away from you?"

"Meiko's the only one who can do that to me." Haku answered.

"Yeah, I am." She laughed.

"_Wow…"_ Neru shook her head. "Whatever. It's probably your imagination. I mean, if the guy really was Kaito or some lookalike of him, Gumi would've made a huge remark on it."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Haku sighed. "Still…it's weird."

"With someone who can vanish and appear like that, I guess it would be weird." Kinsora laughed. "But be careful. This guy could be a really good stalker."

"S-stalker?!" Haku jumped.

"Yeah, there is a chance for that." Neru nodded. "I mean, he vanishes wherever you look, he knows instinctively where you are, and…hold on, does he know your name?"

"He said that I looked familiar." Haku answered. "Like he knew me."

"Stalker." Neru nodded. "And he wouldn't tell you his name, right?"

"Right."

"Next time he finds you, punch him in the face and run!" Meiko instructed. "That way, he won't be able to follow you, and then call the police!"

"Um…O…K." Haku blinked.

"OK, we have to bring him out into the open." Neru nodded. "Well, see ya."

"Wait! You're just gonna **LEAVE** me here?!" Haku panicked.

"Stalkers won't go to their prey when they're near a group, right?" Meiko grinned. "We're just a scream away!"

Before Haku could do anything, the three of them were gone. She grumbled and continued to walk home, not even starting to think about what they meant by stalker. Come to think of it, he was really nice to her, and she was dressed in that really gay outfit…

_Oh god…what if he really is a stalker?!_ She thought. _No…not just a stalker…oh my god, he's a rapist! He's a rapist that uses his pretty boy looks to get people! Oh my god…_

She started to panic for a few seconds as the image of the man hiding in one of the bushes began to haunt her consciousness. Before she knew it, she was ripping them apart one by one. After a few crazy seconds, she was able to confirm that she really was alone and there were no stalkers around to grab her. She sighed a breath of relief.

"_**Wow…you really know how to do a workout. Though I have to say that you really need to work on your kicks. They're not high enough."**_

She freaked out for a few seconds before darting her head to see the young man looking back at her, with a semi-impressed face on him. She tried to scream for her friends, but her voice, for some odd reason, would not work. Instead, she had to do what she thought she could do best.

She ran up to kick him in the waist, only to see him dodge all of her attacks. She started to go faster and more random, but all of them were being dodged so easily by this young man. In fact, he barely looked anything near phased. Impressed, in fact, was a better word.

"_**Nice. Nice."**_ He dodged a rolling kick. _**"Not even a tear in the dress. You've had some practice on this!"**_

"I had to…for incidents such as this!"

She kicked his waist, a kick that he easily dodged, only to spin around and watch as she punched his face. But she didn't hit his face. Instead, she didn't even hit anything. In fact, all she could feel is more air, even though it was clear that she hit him in the face. She opened her fist, and saw that she could see her fingers go through his face. The look on his face slowly fell to a frown.

"Oh my god…" She gasped.

"_**You wanted to know why I wasn't hungry that time, and why you wouldn't believe me if I told you my problems."**_ He laughed with a sad smile. _**"Well…now you know."**_

**------**

**Yeah, these chapters are just flying out of my system! I should be able to finish this in…a couple dozen more chapters. Wow…and I still have so much to do…**


	4. Nothing But The Truth

**The truth about Haku's "stalker" is now known. He wasn't a stalker at all. He was…a ghost?! How is that even possible?!**

**------**

She couldn't believe her eyes. Just a few seconds ago, she had been attacking the man who could've been her stalker. Unfortunately, she would take up the fact that he was a stalker over this. Her fingers were still moving in the area that should be his face, and she could see right through his body. He still had the sad smile on his face.

"_**You already confirmed on what I really am."**_ He said. _**"Do you mind not trying to rub it in?"**_

"O-oh, I…" She lowered her hand. "I'm sorry."

"_**I'm sorry too…for not telling you earlier."**_

"Like I was going to believe it right then and there."

"_**Hah…guess I was right."**_

She walked to a nearby park bench and sulked on it, trying to sort out what was going on in her head. Next to her, she saw the young man sit next to her, patiently waiting for her to talk and understand the situation that he was under. She looked up to the boy and saw how lonely he was.

"How long were you…?" She couldn't form the word.

"_**Dead?"**_ He sighed. _**"Heh…wish I knew."**_

"You…don't know." Haku answered.

"_**Not a clue."**_ He answered. _**"The first memory I have is me waking up that bench right there, with no recollection on who I was. After a few more minutes, I learned that…well, I couldn't get any help."**_

"Wow…" Haku shivered. "That must've been…quite a shock."

"_**Yeah. I've learned a little bit about how the dead operate, and it sucks."**_ He laughed. _**"Apparently, the dead have no memories of their past lives. Maybe it's because they can move on without regrets."**_

"But…what about the people they leave behind?" She jumped. "Won't they be shocked when they die and enter heaven, only to realize that their loved ones can't remember them…?"

"_**That's what I thought."**_ He looked down. _**"That's why I wanted to find out who I really was before I move on. That way, they wouldn't have to suffer."**_

"Is that why you came to me earlier?"

"_**I thought you might have an idea who I might be."**_ He rubbed his forehead. _**"Guess I was wrong…though that punch of yours did jiggle a bit of my memory."**_

"Really?" She found herself smiling. Why was she smiling? "What did you find out?"

"_**My name."**_ He grinned. _**"And that singer Kaito."**_

"So you know your name, huh?" Haku folded her legs. "May I have the pleasure of knowing it, then?"

"_**It's Akaito."**_

"Huh…sounds a lot like Kaito." Haku blinked. "Not too creative."

"_**Guess someone thought that my name would be cooler without that extra A."**_

Haku couldn't help but laugh at the statement, a laugh that got him laughing too. They sounded like they knew each other for a long time, not like he had been following her because he thought that she knew him. Before she knew it, she saw the bushes move, and her friends came up from the pavement.

"Hey, you guys." Haku blinked.

"We didn't hear you scream, so we got worried and headed back here." Neru said. "Are you OK?"

"Where's the stalker?" Kinsora looked around.

"Yeah, about that. My 'stalker' turned out to be a ghost." Haku said bluntly.

"_**They're not gonna believe you, Haku."**_ Akaito said, confused at her statement. _**"You don't know how hard you have to push this in."**_

"_Dude, you don't know my friends."_ Haku grinned.

Akaito looked confused, only to turn around and see that her friends all had that weird enlightened look on their faces _(even that serious looking Neru girl)_. Meiko started darting her head around, her eyes wider than dinner plates, much to his shock.

"A ghost?!" She chirped. "Where?!"

"Right here." Haku pointed right at him.

"Wow…a real ghost." Kinsora held her fingers together. "I knew there was that weird air around you before…but I thought that was because of your job."

"Are you sure you're not just pullin' our chain here?" Neru asked.

"_**She wants proof."**_ Akaito sighed. _**"What do they want me to do?"**_

"Akaito wants to know how to prove that he's here." Haku interpreted.

"That his name? Awesome." Meiko clapped her hands together. "We'll do something easy. Let him possess me!"

"You do know that you have to be in a trance for that to happen, right?" Neru sighed.

"_**Actually, just tell her to close her eyes and take deep breaths."**_

Haku interpreted that to Meiko, who did exactly as she was told. Slowly, Akaito stood up and walked to her, pushing his hand into her chest. Haku watched as he entered her body, and then Meiko/Akaito's eyes slowly opened and turned to her friends, ready to see what happens.

**(("Ow…why is my head ringing?"))** He rubbed his head.

"It's a hangover. Meiko knows hangovers." Kinsora blinked. "You must be our ghost, then."

"Huh." Neru blinked. "Look at that."

**(("Yeah, that's me."))** He answered. **(("But let's just say that I know as much about myself as you know of me."))**

"You have memory loss?" Neru asked.

**(("Pretty bad one. I only know about my name. So Akaito is definitely my name."))** He answered. **(("But on my opinion, I can't believe that you guys believe that I exist. Many people I know won't believe my…plane of existence."))**

"We're enlightened. We believe in ghosts and angels." Kinsora grinned. "Would that make us religious?"

"No." Neru answered. "And I heard that possession takes a toll on the body. Which means that you better leave that one before she collapses."

**(("Oh. Right."))**

Haku watched as he slowly left her body. Meiko shook her head for a few seconds before opening her eyes, staring in blank confusion on what was going on. And then, she had the brightest look on her face.

"Was I possessed?" She asked.

"Yep." Neru answered. "Any pain?"

"Just my hangover…though it feels better now!"

"See Akaito? They believe you!"

Haku turned around to see him, only to see that he had vanished somewhere. Her blank look signaled the others that he was missing, so they nodded and accepted it. They told her to go home and wait for him, a gesture that she quickly accepted.

**------**

**So getting her friends to accept him wasn't so hard. Now they just need to know his past.**


	5. Later That Night

**OK, Haku's life is getting weirder and weirder. Since when did she become a best friend of a ghost?**

**------**

Despite the craziness that she had earlier, she was able to walk home without any incident. She took a look around the area and slowly unlocked the silver gate door.

"_**Nice house you got here!"**_

Haku almost screamed bloody murder. Darting her head around, she saw her little ghost friend standing next to her, laughing at the shock on her face. She frowned and seriously wished that she could just smack him once. That look alone made him stop his laugh and leave a small grin.

"_**Did I bother you?"**_ He asked.

"You scared the life out of me." She answered _(more like growled)_.

"_**We don't want that, do you?"**_ He passed her into the doorway. _**"Besides, there's no use for a ghost killing someone, huh?"**_

Haku stared at him in disgust as Akaito quickly and gracefully flew into her house. She was about to say something when she just sighed and let it be. Closing the door behind her, she turned and saw that Akaito had settled down peacefully at the dining table, staring at her as if he was expecting something.

"I don't know how to serve ghosts, you know." Haku stated bluntly.

"_**I just like your house, that's all."**_ He answered. _**"Can't I help but admire how nice it looks?"**_

"Don't get too used to it." She threw the keys on the table. "If I don't get a hard-working job by the end of the month, this house is as good as gone."

"_**What do you mean?"**_ Akaito looked confused. _**"I mean, don't you already have a job at that restaurant?"**_

"Yeah, sure, as if living off the tips and that paycheck are going to help me." Haku sulked into the cushion. "It's this on overtime, plus the usage of the leftover surplus that I got from college. I'm done with the surplus, and soon I'm gonna lose the house."

"_**That's not good…"**_ Akaito leaned forward. _**"You must have some direction you want to go to."**_

"Sort of." Haku leaned to him. "I want to sing. Like Miku and Kaito. The only problem is that as long as they're in the business, I can't get a job in that field."

"_**That's the harsh reality of this business."**_ Akaito folded his arms. _**"You're either really good or really bad."**_

"Man…now what can I do?" Haku covered her face. "The worst case scenario, I move in with either Kinsora or Neru and just live there for the rest of my miserable life."

"_**We can't have that now, can we?"**_

"Huh?" Haku looked up.

"_**OK, if the only part of my brain is working correctly, there's a concert going on in town with Miku, am I correct?"**_

"I auditioned for that a long time ago. I didn't get in." Haku answered.

"_**Screw that."**_ Akaito laughed. _**"I saw that there's another audition for those people who didn't get in. A few more roles for you to get into. You're auditioning."**_

"What?!" Haku jumped into the air. "No way! I didn't get in that one, and there's no way that I'm going to get in!"

"_**It's tomorrow."**_ Akaito smiled. _**"And you're going to get in it whether you like it or not."**_

"HUH?!"

**------**

**And thus ends the next chapter of a story I finally decided to update on. Anyone lose interest in this yet?**


	6. At The Auditions

**Hange So now Akaito is forcing Haku into auditioning for the upcoming concert with Miku and the Vocaloid band. Will Haku bother to get in, and if she decides to go through with this, will she be able to get a roll?**

**------**

_I can't believe that you got me into this._

Haku found herself standing in front of the building where they were having the auditions. In front of the door and next to the long line, there was a little advertisement that had Miku's face on it and screamed the headlines "AUDITIONS FOR NICO NICO DOUNGA CONCERT THIS WAY". She walked slowly into the line.

"_**Thank god you're going to do this."**_ Akaito laughed behind her. _**"I was gonna force you in this."**_

"_Possessing me to do your deeds."_ Haku sighed. _"Good idea, man."_

He laughed as the line went on. In a period of only a few minutes, over a hundred people had massed up behind her. She immediately became nervous, something that Akaito had finally noticed. He touched her shoulders, which made her shiver, but it did take her mind off the auditions. Soon, she was at the sign-in room.

"Your name?" The person asked.

"Haku." She answered. "Haku Yowane."

"OK, here's your number and sign-in sheet." The man handed it to her. "Sign it and wait in this room. Your number will be called shortly."

She sighed as she walked through the line and into the waiting room #1. Since there were so many people in the room, she ended up standing in the corner of the area. She stared at the words on the paper, the ones that she'd seen countless times before, as Akaito stared at it over her shoulder.

"_**Seems normal enough. Name, age, gender, phone number…"**_ Akaito grinned. _**"Don't these resumes ever change?"**_

"_No."_ Haku answered. _"The information is always the same. They don't really care for anything else."_

"_**That's interesting."**_ Akaito blinked. _**"Here I thought that they would be a little more curious on what the people have to offer."**_

"Well, look who decided to wash up on the shore again."

Haku looked up and saw a figure stare back at her with a grin on her face. She was a typical blond with a perfect figure _(half of which is so FAKE)_, and the Playboy Bunny breasts. Her perfect eyelashes began to flicker as her sky-blue eyes stared at her.

"Hideki. I'm surprised I didn't notice you, with boobs as fake as your voice." She growled.

"Oh, Haku. Don't you know when to quit?" Hideki laughed. "I mean, after so many auditions, I thought that you would get the hint or something."

"Well, at least I got my natural voice." Haku stared at Hideki. "Implant voices such as you make the rest of us look bad."

"Oh come on. The Auto-Tune is the best thing to happen to singers." She rubbed her neck. "Take the hint. Every single person in this room has it. You should get it too or get kicked to the curb…again."

"You obviously forgot the thrill of actually singing." Haku looked sad.

Hideki was about to say something when she decided that she was going to save her voice. She turned and walked away with a strut that made all the guys in the room turn and look. Even Akaito was infatuated by her flawless figure and her blond hair.

"_Be grateful you're a ghost, or I would've seriously hurt you at this point."_

"_**Oh come on. I'm a guy, what can I say?"**_ Akaito laughed.

Haku ignored him as she went to sit down in a chair. The people began to file into the audition room and were leaving with more confidence than before. What sucked was that when people were warming up, they all had the Auto-Tune, making her feel even worse.

"Geez, look at all of them. They probably don't know how to sing a tune without that Auto-Tune of theirs."

She turned her head and saw that the man next to her was talking. He looked a little bit like Akaito, only his hair was more of a duller red and held a long string of hair from the side of his head to his knee. He looked like a professional with his glasses and smart-looking green eyes, which made her blush.

"Well, that's the singing business. You have to sound good in order to get anywhere." Haku answered his question.

"Yeah, but back a few years ago, the singing business was only reserved for people with talent." The man turned to Haku. "But by the sound of your voice, you don't have it do you?"

"No. I don't want one, and can't afford one even if I wanted to." She answered.

"That means you still got some sanity in you." He lifted his hand. "My name is Hareta, a singer without Auto-Tune."

"Haku, a being like yourself without the same instrument." Haku shook his hand.

"Someone else with sanity. That's good to hear." Hareta laughed. "When are you going to audition?"

"Um…when they call my number." Haku lifted her number.

"I see." He nodded. "Good luck, Haku. Hopefully, they're willing to hear a real voice in there."

Haku nodded and smiled as the people started to file out of the room. Suddenly, she heard her number being called. Instantly, she felt a wave of panic going through her system as she stood to walk into the room. Turning around, she saw Akaito nod to her to induce confidence, and then walked into the door.

**------**

**I should update this more often….**


	7. The Moment of Truth

**So Haku is ready to get into the audition as Akaito had planned her to. Now is she going to go through with it as planned? Is she even going to be accepted?**

The room was nothing more than four judges, similar to what they do in American Idol. As Haku entered the room, she saw Akaito walk in with her and float behind the judges with a big grin on his face, obviously trying to keep Haku's confidence up.

"What's your name?" One of the judges asked. He looked the oldest of the four, with his gray hair and glasses.

"Haku Yowane." She answered, keeping her cool.

"Did you or do you recently have any singing classes?" Another one asked. It was a young woman that looked like a contractor.

"None, miss." She kept as formal as she could.

"Have you been in other singing productions such as this?" The third one asked. He looked the closest to her age, with brown hair and ivory skin. Yet he looked the most foreign, making her wonder if he was from overseas.

"I have auditioned for them before." Haku answered. "Haven't been accepted by any of them."

"And why is that?" The fourth one looked confused. He looked the least threatening of them.

"Because the majority of the people had the Auto-Tune." She answered, holding her throat. "I don't have it, which meant to them that I wasn't fit for the role."

"Did they say that they would only accept people with Auto-Tune?" The woman asked.

"It said that it was recommended on the sign-up sheet. Every time." Haku answered. "I wanted to get one, but I couldn't afford getting the operation. Even then I probably wouldn't want one."

"I see…you do realize that this production requires the upmost talent and pitch ability." The oldest stated. "One wrong person could end up ruining the whole show."

"I understand that. I have been practicing my voice for the past few years now." She answered.

From the corner of her mind, she knew that these people were gunning toward individuals with the Auto-Tune system and that she should just leave now. Yet that barely crossed her mind when she saw Akaito grin at her from behind the judges. She found herself smiling as well, unable to turn back.

"Well then…what song will you be singing for us today?"

"Um…Last Night, Good Night." She answered.

"All right then." The third judge turned his head. "Cue the music."

Haku heard the music slowly tune itself up. She took a deep breath as the piano piece began the song. When she looked up, she noticed Akaito's arms were raised up toward her and was pointing straight at himself with a cheesy grin on his face.

"_**Remember Haku: look directly at me if you need some unnerving."**_

"_Right, right…I heard you…"_

She forced herself to stare directly into Akaito's eyes, freaking him out. She grinned and began to sing. Instantly, the judges were stunned into pure silence. She wasn't even paying attention to what she was singing anymore: she knew the lyrics and what they meant. In fact, she knew that there were people who were living it as she sung.

_This is the reality of people who live in this world. Their hearts will be broken, that's the factor of life._ She thought. _And yet…only a small amount of them would be willing to show their true feelings to the world…let it all bleed out. Make someone listen._

"_**Music is the one true connection between people's souls, Haku. You cannot lie through music. Only the truth lies in the melody."**_

_Yes…in the music, there lies truth. The thoughts of hundreds of thousands of people can flow into just one song created from any mind…be it mine, yours…or even that of a child._

"_**Haku…what are you going to do with your music?"**_

_Sing to the world…reveal the hidden secrets that no one ever wishes to reveal or listen to. Become the voice for those…long silenced._

"…_**I'm glad that you know the true reason why music exists. It's not a business on which people can make money, it's a passion. It's a dream that only the few who understand its meaning can achieve. And Haku…you achieved it."**_

Her eyes opened and viewed that of a stunned audience. She blinked for a few minutes before realizing that the song had just ended. Behind them, Akaito was clapping with the same cheesy grin from before, as if he was the only one who had the energy to operate anything.

"W-well then." The oldest judge said, trying to keep up the composure. "Thank you for coming, Yowane-san. We'll be in touch with you."

"Thank you…"

She turned and hurried out of there.

**"" "" ""**

**An UPDATE!**


	8. What Happened Afterwards

**So Haku's survived the audition. Let's see if she got what it takes to actually go somewhere.**

"" "" ""

When she left the room, she noticed that most of the people had already left. After a few minutes, she realized that her audition was one of the last of the day. The snobby woman that she met up with earlier was gone, making her sigh and relax her muscles. The last thing that she needed was bitching. Without hesitating, she immediately left the building and headed down the road.

"_**You were great, Haku."**_

She didn't have to turn her head to see Akaito floating behind her. He floated into a walking position as he trotted in front of Haku. She turned her head away from him, but allowed the comment to sink into her consciousness.

"_**I mean, I haven't heard a natural voice sounding like that in a long time."**_

"_That's because a lot of people want to be perfect. They don't realize that being perfect means that there won't be emotions in what they sing."_

"_**There are few that can sound perfect while handing out emotions."**_

"_Those are actually gifted people. Unlike __Auto-Tune__, they're actually rare."_

Akaito began to laugh out loud, leaving Haku to be happy that no one can actually hear him. She sighed as she walked into her job, seeing that the boss was waiting right there for her with her apron and a look that screamed GET TO WORK. She didn't have to blink twice before doing so.

"" "" ""

When she came home, she saw that the light on her home phone was flashing. She looked confused _(since the only people that know of her home number are the government and her credit card company)_. She slid the door behind her as she pressed the play button on the machine and thudded down on the floor.

**[You have ONE unheard message.]**

_Oh no, really? That's why I pressed the play button, you damn machine._

**[Hello, this is the Crypton Records. I'm calling for Haku Yowane.]**

She darted up to a sitting position as she stared at the answering machine. _THAT WAS A FAST REACTION._

**[We just wanted to say that the judges liked your performance and that we are inviting you to our semi-finals tomorrow in the Nico Nico stadium at 7:30 AM. We hope to see you there.]**

She jumped up to her feet as she stared at her answering machine. With shaking hands, she reached over and pressed the play button again, listening to the message say the same good news again.

And then she pressed it again.

And again.

And one more time just to be sure.

"_**Come on, get the hint already. They like you."**_

She didn't even jump anymore. Turning her head, she saw Akaito hovering just across the dining tale with a grin on his face. Haku couldn't contain her excitement any longer, and began to jump around in the room screaming praise off the top of her lungs.

"I'm in the semi-finals! I'm in the semi-finals!" She jumped in front of him. "This is the first time that I've ever been called back before!"

"_**That's good to hear! Finally, someone has noticed the amount of talent that you have."**_ Akaito grinned. _**"You should probably tell the others about what's going on."**_

"Yes…yes of course! Yes, and Meiko's going to bring all of us for a party!" Haku grabbed the phone. "I won't drink at it for tomorrow, but still!"

Akaito stared at Haku as she began to dial the first number off the top of her head. As he heard the voices reaching higher and higher in excitement, he floated out of the room and into the garden. Even then, he could still hear Haku's joy from across the wall.

_**Congratulations, Haku. You're so close now.**_ He closed his eyes. _**You're closer than I ever was…**_

"" "" ""

**Next chapter!**


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